French seaming attachment for sewing machines



- O -7, 1952 R. J. SAlLER 2,

FRENCH SEAMING ETTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July 26, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l Q Jnvenfoz RudoQv/z .J Saz'ler Oct. 7, 1952 J. SAILER FRENCH SEAMING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Javegfoz Rudonk J/Saz'Zer I aim,

R. J. SAILER 2,612,855 FRENCH SEAMING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 26. 1949 Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED s arts SEAMING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES *FRENCH Rudolph J. Sailer, Townley, N. J., assignor 'to The" Singer Manufacturing Company, ,Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey 1 :Application July 26, 1949, Serial No. 106,895

This invention relates to attachments for-sewing machines and more particularly to means designed to be applied to such machines to adapt the machines to perform French seaming either with or without a reinforcingtape secured to the under side of the seam.

Seams of this nature are used formany purposes such, for example, as the ,uniting of cloth sections in the making of automobileupholstery and the like. i

In making such seams, two plies ofmaterial are first united, face-to-face by a seamsewed through the two plies at a suitable distance from the edges of the plies. Theunited plies are, then opened up along the line of the ply-uniting seam and the marginal portions which-extendbeyond the seam are folded back onthe under side of their respective plies; In this position the work is presented to a two-needle sewing machine each needle of which sews through one of the plies and through its backwardly folded marginal portion.

In some instances, the machine which performs the final sewing operation also sews a re- 'inforcing tape along the underside of the seam.

united work-piece sections, and, if desired, areinfor-cing tape.

.Another object is to provide an atta hment cf this nature which will automatically adapt itself to work of various thicknesses. v p.

A still further object of the invention is-to provide a French "seamingv attachment, for twe needle sewing machine, the workeengaging-parts of which are adapted to be manually shifted out of operative positionto facilitate-handling of the 4 claims. (or. 112-147) work under certain conditions as,- for example,

when turning or finishing closed corners of 2 articles such as automobileseat covers and the like.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appeanthe invention comprises the devices, combinations-and arrangementsof parts hereinafter set forth and illustratedin the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the: art. 7 I

In the drawings: I I b Fig l is a front View of a portion of a twoneedle, two-looper chain stitch sewing machine embodying; the present invention as used when applying a reinforcing tape to the under side of the work lengthwise of the seam, with the work and the tape in section. I I V Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly broken away, as viewed from the left in Fig.1. f Fi 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig, l and showing the upper and under sides of .a workpiece having a French seam covered by a reinforcing tape.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of thepresent attachment, with portions thereof broken away to disclose certain underlying portions; b i b Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view talnen substantially on the line 5-5 of .Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectiontakensubstantially on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

- Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the tape and an invertedseam-guiding plow carried therei Fig. 8 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. -2, but showing the machine f tted with modified looper arrangement, presser-foot, throatplate, feed-dog and needles .to adapt the machine to produce French seamingwithdut the reinforcing tape and with a single looper thread'concatenated with both needle threads, and lying forthacross'the seam joint. 1

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken along the line 9 -9 of 'Fig. 8 showing, particularly'y-:the. presserfoot which is used in connection withithe a em ntshown n sv Fig. 10 is a plan view .ofthe throat-plate, feeddog and looper used ;inconnection withthelarrangement shown-in Figs.-8 and-9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the upper b ck and thereto by screws 20 (see Fig.

and under sides of a work-piece having a French seam as made by a sewing machine fitted with two needles and one looper, as illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the invention is disclosed as embodied in a sewing machine having a work-supporting plate I provided with a downwardly extending flange 2. The machine also includes the usual standard and overhanging bracket-arm (not shown), which bracket-arm terminates in a bracket-arm head, a portion of which is designated as 3 in Figs. 1 and 2. Mounted in the head 3 is a spring-depressed resser-bar 4 which carries a presser-foot 5. Also carried by the head 3 is a vertically and horizontally movable upper feed-bar 5 which carries an upper feeding foot I. Cooperating with the foot I in the feeding of the work is a lower feed-dog 8; carried by a feedbar 9 having vertical and horizontal movements in timed relation with the movements of the feeding foot I. The teeth 8' of the feed-dog 3 operate through slots III formed in a throatplate I0 secured to the work-plate I.

Also mounted in the bracket-arm head 3 is the reciprocating needle-bar II to the lower end of which is secured a needle-clamp I2 carrying two eye-pointed thread-carrying needles n and 11 These needles are set oblique to the direction of the feed of the work through the machine and cooperate, respectively, with thread-carrying loopers b and b in the formation'of stitches.

As hereinbefore stated, in the making of French seams the two pieces of material, designated a and b, respectively, in Figs. 1, 3 and 11, are first placed face-to-face and united in a sin-- gle needle sewing machine by a seam s along a line spaced a relatively short distance from the adjacent edges of the two pieces. The pieces a and b are then opened up and the marginal portions 0. and b, thereof, which project beyond the uniting seams. are folded back on the under side of their respective pieces. In this condition the united pieces are passed through a two-needle sewing machine having the present improved attachment and the French seam is formed, either with orwithout a reinforcing tape.

and 23, the members 22 and 23 are spaced apart a distance sufiicient to permit the insertion there between of the pieces a and b of the body material at the line of the uniting seam s. Thus the plates guide the united work-pieces to the stitch-forming mechanism, the extensions 22 and 22 lying between the body of the work-piece and the backwardly turned marginal portions a, b.

The plates I6 and I1 and the members 22, 23 carried thereby are normally biased to the posi' tion illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4 by coil springs 24 and 25 located, respectively, within cavities 28 and 2'! formed in the walls I 3 and I3 of the supporting bracket and in the plates IS, IT. At one end the springs 24 and 25 bear against -lugs 28 and 25 struck upwardly from the horizontal portions I3 I3 of the stationary base plate I3 and at their opposite ends against down- .turned lugs Nanci 3| carried by the pivoted platesIB; and I I -The pressure exerted by the springs 24, 25 normally hold the parts in the po: sition shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 4 with downturned flanges I Ii and I1 on the plates I5, II" in engagement with the outer edges of the walls I 3, I3. 7

The pivotal mounting of the plates [8, and I1 permits the members 22, 23 carried thereby to be swung outwardly from the position shown in full lines in Figs. 3' and 4' inaccordance with increases in the'thickness of the work passing between the members.

Likewise the plates I6 and I1 andthemembers 22, 23 may be shifted outwardly to the positionsshown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, for insertion, or manipulation of the work, by a treadle-controlled means now to be described. Journaled in bearings 32 and 33, secured by screws 34' to, the side wall I3 of the base plate I3, is a rock-shaft 35 which carries collars-36 and 31 having offset cam fingers 36 and 31, respectively. These fingers The attachment includes an angular baseplate I3, comprising horizontally spaced upper walls I3 I3 fitted into the work-supporting plate I, and an inclined side wall I 3 which is secured to the downwardly extending flange 2 of the plate I by screws I 4'. Pivotally mounted on the walls I3 and [3 as by screws I5, are horizontally disposed plates, I5; and; II, respectively, which carry supporting blocks l8 and I9 held To the upper faces of the blocks I8 and I9 are adjustably secured, by screws 2|, horizontally disposed worksupporting and -guiding members, 22 and 23, preferably of sheet metal. As shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 5, these members are each formed with an upwardly and rearwardly curved front portion ac, adapted to guide the body of the-work upand over the attachment, 2. horizontal-portion y where the plate is attached to its supporting block, and a downwardly andrearwardly inclined portion 2 formed with'extensions 22 and 23?, respectively, which assist in directing the'work beneath the presser-foot 5 and the feeding foot I. I

The adjacent edges ofthe members 22 and 23 are spaced apart and are curved in opposite directions, as indicated at w in Figs. 3- and 4. At

their rear edges, adjacent the extensions 22 engage the rearsurfaces of downturned ends 38. and 39 of bars 38 and 39 slidingly mounted inv guideways 40, 4| formed in the upper surfaces of the horizontal walls I3 and I3 of the base plate I3. The bars 38 and 39 carry upstandingpins 38, and'39 which pass through slots 38and 33 in the plates I6 and IT. Thusendwise movements of the bars cause swinging movement'ofthe plates I6, I! and the members; 22, 23- carried thereby,

about the axes of the pivot screws I5.

Also secured to-the rock-shaft 3,5is a.collar 42. to which issecured an arm 43 having a series of apertures 44, in anyone of'which may; be attached one end ofa chain 45. The chain is connected at its other end to a suitabletreadle (not shown) by means of which the arm 43 may be manuallyshifted-from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 to theposition indicated indotted lines, thereby turning the rock-shaft35 and consequently shifting the members 22' and 23 from the position shown in the fulljlinesinFig; 4 to the position indicated in dotted lines. A stop member secured upon the shaft 35 and adapted, to contact the-wall I3 of the base plate I3-', serves to limit the turning movement of'the shaft and consequently the outward movementof the'meme bers 22 and 23. I

As hereinbefore stated, a reinforcing-tape-may be attached to the under side ofthework and lengthwise oithe seam simultaneously with, and by the same rows of stitches t; which unite the marginal portions 'a, b" to the; body-material. This is effected by guiding'a tapeT beneath the work and in line with the pathsof reciprocation 51'. of the needlesJn.. ,.n'-. The tape is led in through a tapeguide G, shown in perspective in Fig. 7,

comprising a fiat, horizontally. disposed tube 46 having an upturned delivery e'ndfdfi which delivers the tap'e'to the under side of the work slightlyin advance of the toe of the presserfoot asshown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The tube lfiissupported by a flange 41 which is. secured, by screws 48, to the flange 2 of the worksupporting plate i. v

The upper, wall of the tape-guiding tube is cut away, at its intake end, asat 46 to facilitate insertion of the end of the tape,,and with slots 48 through which the tape may be engaged, by a suitable instrument, to thread the tape through the tape guide. Adjacent its delivery end the tape guide G is provided with an inverted seamopening plow 49 including an upstanding rib 49 which tracks the groove between the folded back marginal portions a, b of the united workpieces. The plow 49 also includes oppositely incined walls 49 which iron out the marginal portions a, b.

The presser-foot 5 also is provided at its front end with a plow portion including a rib or fin 5 which tracks the groove between the two pieces of material a and b, above the uniting seam s.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the construction disclosed in Figs. 1 to '7, inclusive, is adapted to form French seams as shown in Fig. 3 with the reinforcing tape T secured to the under side of the work by the rows of stitches comprising the needle threads t and the complemental looper-threads Z.

By slight modifications the construction above described may also be used to produce French seams such as shown in Fig. 11, that is, without the reinforcing tape and with a single lower thread concatenated with both needle threads and extending back and forth across the seam joint.

To produce the seam shown in Fig. 11, the needle clamp i2 is turned on the needle-bar H to cause the needles n and n to lie abreast and perpendicular to the line of seam formation as shown in Figs. 8 and 10. The presserfoot 5, hereinbefore described, is replaced by a presser-foot 5B, which as shown in Fig. 9, has needleholes h and h arranged side-by-side to accommodate the new position of the needles. The presser-foot 5B is provided, at its front end, with a plow portion including a rib or fin 5!) which tracks the groove between the two pieces of material a and b, above the uniting seam s. Likewise the throat-plate ID is replaced by a modified throat-plate 5! (Fig. which also has needle holes positioned to accommodate the side-by-side relation of the needles. Next the two loopers b and b are replaced by a single thread-carrying looper b which is adapted to pass its thread through the thread-loops cast out by both of the needles 11. 11. thereby concatenating the single looper thread l with the needle threads t as shown in Fig. 11. When the single looper b is used in conjunction with the two needles, it is desirable also to use a needleguide 52 carried by the feed-bar 9 and a combined needle-guide and loop-positioner 53 carried by the looper carrier to insure the proper cooperation between the needles and the looper.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A sewing machine attachment comprising a base-plate adapted to be secured to the workplate of a sewing.machine;a pair of opposed work-supporting-and -guiding. members pivotally' mounted on vertical axes on said base-plate. each ofsaid members having: a horizontally dispose'd'tportion constructed :and arranged to lie betweena work-piece anda folded backmarginal portionwthereof; spring-imeans actingon said members: .to turn them inward in opposite directionsxabout their pivots to cause them to engage the'work therebetween; a pair of endwise movable slide-bars slidingly mounted on said-:base-plate iandnoperatively connected with said work-supporting and -guiding members; a rock-shaft journaled on said base-plate; manually actuated means for turning said rock-shaft; and operative connections between said rockshaft and said slide-bars.

2. A sewing machine attachment comprising a base-plate adapted to be secured to the workplate of a sewing machine; a pair of opposed work-supporting and -guiding members pivotally mounted on vertical axes on said base-plate, each of said members having a horizontally disposed portion constructed and arranged to lie between a work-piece and a folded back marginal portion thereof; spring means acting on said members to turn them inward in opposite directions about their pivots to cause them to engage the work therebetween; a pair of endwise movable slidebars slidingly mounted on said base-plate and operatively connected with said work-supporting and -guiding members; a rock-shaft journaled on said base-plate; manually actuated means for turning said rock-shaft; cam members on said rock-shaft; and operative connections between said cam members and said slide-bars.

3. An attachment comprising, an elongated supporting plate adapted to be secured to the frame of a sewing machine, a substantially V-shaped plow carried upon the upper face and intermediate the two ends of said plate with the longitudinal axis of the V being disposed crosswise of said plate, a pair of elongated workguiding wings of which each is pivotally mounted upon said supporting plate about an axis disposed at right angles to the plane of said plate and with each wing being lengthwise aligned with said plate and being located adjacent one side of said plow so as substantially to cover one-half of said plate, a pair of springs with each disposed entirely between a respective one of said wings and said plate for biasing said wings in opposite directions about their pivot axes, a rock-shaft journaled on said plate at a location beneath the level of said wings, means including a pair of endwise movable bars connecting said rock-shaft with each of said wings, and manually actuated means for turning said rock-shaft thereby to turn said wings in opposition to the action of their springs.

4. An attachment comprising, an elongated supporting plate adapted to be secured to the frame of a sewing machine, a unitary box-like tape-guiding conduit adjustably mounted lengthwise of and upon the upper face and intermediate the two ends of said plate with the conduit axis disposed crosswise of said plate, a substantially V-shaped plow carried upon the upper face of said conduit, a pair of elongated workguiding wings of which each is pivotally mounted upon said supporting plate about an axis disposed at right angles to the plane of said plate and with each wing being lengthwise aligned with-said plate and being located adjacent one half 01 said 'plate, a; pair of springs with each.v u IHEFEIUSNGES CITED disposedentirely'between respective one of The fallowing references are of record. in the said wings and said plate for biasing said wings, me of tmsvatent;

in opposite directions. about their plvotaxes; a. .9

rock-shaft journaled' on, said plate atax location 51 UNITED STATES PATENTS beneath the level of said wings, means including Number Name Date a pair of endwise movable barsz connecting said. 192,568 Corbett et al July 3, 1877 rock-shaft with each of said wings. and" manu- 480,260 Greene Aug. 9, 1892 ally actuated means for. turning said. rack-shaft 1,347,503 Gatchell July 27, 1920 thereby to turn said, wings, in. opposition t0 the 10 2,070,200 Ernst Feb. 9, 1937 action of their springs 2,126,507 Sailer Aug. 9, I938 RUDOLPH J. SALILERL' 2,337,503 Smith Dec. 21, 1943 l 2,348,690 Ackerman e May 9, 19'44 

